Prior Art Cosmetics
Cosmetics have been around since Biblical times. Over the years cosmetics have been developed in many different formulations and in many different forms whether as a powder, liquid, gel or cream. These different formulations and forms have been used for a host of topical uses.
Cosmetic powders have been long known and commercially available in both loose and pressed powder form. Cosmetic powders have been used for a variety of topical application such to the face, lips, around the eyes, nails, scalp and other body locations. The uses of these cosmetic powders include reducing, inhibiting or preventing moisture loss from the skin for an extended period of time; absorbing excess sebum/oil from the skin to reduce shine and filling in blemishes.
Cleansing compositions have also been around for many years whether in powder, liquid or cream form. Cleansing the skin is also very important especially for the care of the face. Cleansing must be as thorough as possible because greasy residues, such as excess sebum, dead skin cells, and remnants of cosmetic products used daily and make-up products accumulate in the folds of the skin and can block the pores of the skin and result in blemishes.
Various forms of cosmetic compositions for cleaning the skin have been known for years. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,904 discloses a skin cleaner having plastic synthetic resin material in a fine state of comminution so as to impart a scrubbing or mechanical detersive action thereto.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,366 discloses a cosmetic composition comprising disintegrating granules that facilitate the circulation of the blood to improve a complexion. The disintegrating granules are composed of synthetic polymers such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polypropylene, and nylon in a silicone solvent wherein the disintegrating granules in the cosmetic composition have a compression strength of 0.002 to 0.1 kgf/mm2 and a granule size of 100 to 2,000 microns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,655 discloses a cosmetic composition comprising self-heating, self-indicating disintegrating granules comprised of water-insoluble synthetic polymer and a colorant, which gives users indications of the length of time the composition has been applied and the degree of mixing when in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,770 discloses a body scrub wherein the cosmetic composition comprises crushed up basalt. Though basalt is a natural ingredient it is a mineral and not a biodegradable polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,585,922 discloses polymer particles dispersions in a silicone medium and cosmetic compositions made therefrom. However, the object of this patent was to stabilize the polymer dispersion without the use of a stabilizing polymer. This was accomplished by modifying the physicochemical properties of the dispersion, and thus of the composition comprising it, by appropriately selecting the monomers and the silicone medium of which it is composed. The polymer particle dispersion of this patent comprised a copolymer that comprises at least one first block that is soluble in the silicone medium and at least one second block that is insoluble in the silicone medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,634 discloses an aqueous skin cleaner composition comprising propylene carbonate suitable for removing paint, grease, dirt and other foreign materials from the skin.
As will be seen none of the prior art discloses the present invention.
Biodegradable Polymers
In recent years, interest in protecting the environment by not only using products made from natural renewable resources, but also products that decompose into environmentally friendly constituents has been steadily and rapidly increasing. Green movements, initiatives and regulations have sprung up in almost every developed country. Consumers, in particular, have also expressed their desire for products that are environmentally friendly while providing the same results that products made from synthetic materials. This desire by consumers for environmentally friendly products has spread to cosmetics and health care products.
To help facilitate consumer preferences for environmentally friendly products several organizations have begun certifying products meeting environmentally friendly standards. One such organization is Ecocert (http://www.ecocert.com). Ecocert certifies that the raw materials that go into cosmetic and health care products are of natural or organic origin. Certification by Ecocert has become increasingly important to consumers, especially consumers of cosmetic and personal care products. In order to obtain Ecocert certification, a product must meet the exacting demands set forth by Ecocert. (http://www.ecocert.com/Les-etapes-de-la-certification-en.html). Thus, certification by Ecocert guarantees consumers that they are buying environmentally friendly cosmetics.
However, consumer preferences for environmentally friendly products can be hindered by the higher cost of such environmentally friendly products as compared to synthetically derived products. Likewise, such preferences for environmentally friendly products can be also frustrated if environmentally friendly products do not produce the desired results as compared to the synthetically derived product.
Therefore, there has been a long felt need for environmentally friendly cosmetic and personal care products that have comparable cost as synthetically derived products now being offered for sale while still maintaining the desired efficacy and results. Such products are highly desirable because consumers want a product that is environmentally friendly, will not deplete scarce and limited resources such as petroleum, has comparable costs as compared to non-environmentally friendly products and are not toxic to the skin while still providing the necessary skincare result.
Over the years biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA) have been employed in several products. Because polylactic acid (PLA) has high transparency, toughness, and is easily hydrolyzed in the presence of water, blends of stereocomplexes of polylactic acid (PLA) have been woven into shirts, microwavable trays, hot-fill applications and even engineering plastics.
Because polylactic acid (PLA) is 100% biodegradable it can also be employed in the preparation of bioplastics, useful for producing loose-fill packaging, compost bags, food packaging, and disposable tableware.
In addition, because polylactic acid (PLA) easily decomposes and is absorbed in a living body without exerting toxicity it has been used in vivo. For example, polylactic acid (PLA) is currently used in a number of biomedical applications, such as sutures, stents, dialysis media, tissue scaffolds and drug delivery devices.
However, none of the prior art discloses micronizing polylactic acid (PLA) pellets into micro granules to make them suitable for topical applications and then using it topically in micronized form. Further, the prior art does not disclose the use of micronized polymers that are substantially biodegradable, that are made from annual renewable resources and that provide efficacious results for use in a skincare product. Likewise, none of the prior art discloses the use of micronized polylactic acid (PLA) in cosmetic compositions, and more specifically as a filler in a powder cosmetic composition and as the abrasive particles in a scrub cosmetic composition.